APOSTASY 101

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

I’ve covered this story here before but I’m covering it again for three reasons. This story needs to be kept alive. This column fleshes out some details I didn’t previously know. And it never hurts to be regularly reminded of the satanic hostility of Katharine Jefferts Schori and the rest of the Episcopal Organization leadership toward any and all forms of anything resembling traditional Christianity:

"Since 1879 the Church of the Good Shepherd stood at #74 Conklin Avenue in Binghamton, NY. In February of this year, the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York sold the building to Imam Muhammad Affify. The cross has been removed from the top of the bell tower, the red doors have been repainted green, a windowpane cross has been painted over, and all Christian symbols have been eradicated. That is symbolic in itself considering that the building now houses the Islamic Awareness Center.

"In 2002, the Rev. Matt Kennedy and his wife, Anne, were assigned to take over Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. It was hardly a thriving place at the time, with a small, aging congregation. But over time, under Fr. Kennedy’s leadership, the church grew. As he wrote on the church blog: “We’d finally begun to have some impact in the neighborhood, drawing people to church through our soup kitchen and block parties. Our weekly Bible studies were packed with new people and we were, shockingly to us, beginning to draw an increasing number of students from BU [Binghamton University]…by January 2009 Good Shepherd was healthier, younger, larger than she’d been in decades – and she was slowly, steadily, growing.”

"In 2007 Fr. Kennedy and other representatives from Good Shepherd met with their Bishop and explained why they felt they could no longer, in good conscience, remain in the Episcopal Church. Despite their theological differences, Fr. Kennedy describes their relationship with the Bishop as very positive. Good Shepherd offered to purchase the property for $150,000 in cash plus a large bequest. A verbal agreement was reached. Several more meetings were held throughout 2008 which were cordial and positive.

"Then, as Fr. Kennedy told me, things suddenly changed. The verbal agreement to purchase the property was rejected, and they were slapped with a lawsuit by the Diocese. Even throughout that process, Fr. Kennedy explained, Church of the Good Shepherd made efforts to resolve the issue out of court. But to no avail.

"On Thursday, January 8, 2009, the Diocese won its lawsuit allowing them to seize the church and all its property, including the rectory.

"For the record, the Diocese of Central New York sold — or perhaps sold out — to the Imam for a mere $50,000. It is astonishing to note the lengths the Episcopal Church, under the leadership of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, went to in order to keep a “traditional” congregation from remaining in its buildings."

So this came straight from the top. Explains a lot, actually, particularly 815’s apparent order to Bishop Gladstone “Skip” Adams to make the Diocese of Central New York take a $100,000 hit rather than sell the property to conservative Anglicans.

This doesn’t let Gladstone “Skip” off the hook however. He could have grown a pair, informed Mrs. Schori that the Diocese had made an agreement and the Diocese intended to honor it particularly since it wasn’t in good enough financial shape to turn down 100 large. But he folded like he was holding 3-9 off-suited.

I guess the House of Squishops will be too busy with moral posturing during their upcoming Arizona meeting to get to this but I really hope some Communion Partner bishop works up the courage to ask Mrs. Schori the following questions:

(1) How do you square your expressed desire to preserve the gifts of past Episcopalians for those of the future with selling an Episcopal parish to a non-Christian religion?

(2) In what alternate reality can selling parochial property to non-Christians for $100,000 less than you could have gotten for it from other Christians possibly be defined as good Christian stewardship?

(3) Given the fact that you had one of your dioceses take a $100,000 hit rather than sell a piece of property to the conservative Anglicans who previously occupied it, why should traditional Anglicans or any other Christians, for that matter, regard you as one of them?

Do I expect anyone to ask Mrs. Schori those questions? No.

Thanks to Stand Firm.